Single use container, especially for pharmaceutical material

ABSTRACT

Single use container, especially for a pharmaceutical material. A heat sealable envelope is formed with the material to be dispensed inserted therein. A cord, which is looped or knotted, is positioned with the loop or knot within the envelope and the cord is arranged to extend outwardly thereof. Pulling of the cord outwardly of the envelope causes the loop or knot to rupture a portion of the envelope and the material can then be squeezed therethrough for use as desired.

United States Patent [191 Saudek 1 SINGLE USE CONTAINER, ESPECIALLY FOR PHARMACEUTICAL MATERIAL [76] Inventor: Everett C. Saudek, 1613 Timberlane Dr., Portage, Mich. 49081 [22] Filed: Nov. 20, I970 [21] Appl. No.: 91,495

[52] US. Cl 128/260, 206/56 AA, 229/66,

229/86, 222/107 [51] Int. Cl A61m 7/00, 865d 33/38 [58] Field of Search 128/272, 260, 261;

99/171 S, 171 M; 222/107; 229/86, 51 S, 48 T, 66; 206/56 AA [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/l964 Kitterman 128/272 X [11] 3,797,493 [451 Mar. 19, 1974 2,676,702 4/1954 Whiteford, Jr. 229/48 T UX Primary Examiner-Le0nard Summer Assistant Examiner.lohn M. Caskie Attorney, Agent, or FirmWoodhams, Blanchard and Flynn [57] ABSTRACT Single use container, especially for a pharmaceutical material. A heat sealable envelope is formed with the material to be dispensed inserted therein. A cord, which is looped or knotted, is positioned with the loop or knot within the envelope and the cord is arranged to extend outwardly thereof. Pulling of the cord outwardly of the envelope causes the loop or knot to rupture a portion of the envelope and the material can then be squeezed therethrough for use as desired.

19 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SINGLE USE CONTAINER, ESPECIALLY FOR PHARMACEUTICAL MATERIAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a single use container, especially for pharmaceutical materials and the like, such as for ointments, salves and similar, and relates particularly to such a device in which a small quantity of such material can be inexpensively and antiseptically packaged with inexpensive and easily operable means provided for dispensing of same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION While the single use packaging concept isof long standing and one which has been developed in a multitude of forms, insofar as it has been applied to the pharaceutical field previous developments therein have left much to be desired.- In many instances, single use containers have been developed for products which are sold in quantities much larger than individual pharmaceutical applications. Thus, containers which are entirely practical and highly inexpensive when applied to products sold by the quart or gallon cannot as a practical matter be reduced economically to a size involving only a few grams. For example single service containers made of blowmolded polyethylene are entirely practical and within acceptable economics when used for selling even inexpensive material, such as water or milk, but become entirely impractical even for relatively expensive pharaceutical products if same are to contain and dispense only a few grams of material. Further, it is difficult to place only a few grams of material in a generally rigid container and expect to withdraw therefrom for use the entirety or substantially the entirety thereof. It is, therefore, desirable to provide an inexpensive and flexible type of container into which pharmaceutical materials, particularly ointments, salves and similar, can be placed in quantities of only a few grams per packageand same can be done in a sufficiently simple manner as to be capable of inexpensive high-speed production.

In approaching this problem it is well recognized that larg'enumbers of food products, such as sugar, salt, coffee and other, have long been packaged in individual packages formed by folding a sheet of flexible material, usually paper or a metal foil, inserting the material into the envelope thus formed and sealing the edges thereof. However, in the use of such a package, regardless of whether it is opened by the users fingers or by a tool, such as a knife or shears, there is the danger of contamination of the opening through which the material is to be dispensed. Even minor contamination which is tolerable in a food product cannot be accepted in a pharmaceutical productwhich is intended for the treatment of delicate tissues and particularly for treatments involving skin breaks.

It is, therefore, desirable to provide for use with such materials as pharmaceuticals an envelope type of packaging device, preferably one which can be heat sealed around its edges and to provide therewith means for effecting an opening in said package for the dispensing of the material contained therein which opening can be conveniently made by the user without the use of tools, and yet without appreciable danger of contamination around the edges of the opening.

Accordingly, the objects of the invention include:

1. To provide arapidly sealable package adapted to contain only a small quantity of material together with means for the easy and rapid manual opening thereof.

2. To provide a package as aforesaid particularly adapted for receiving only a few grams of material therein and capable of dispensing virtually the entirety thereof from said package.

3. To provide a package as aforesaid wherein the material comprising said package can be sealed by means readily adaptable to high volume production, such as heat sealing of a sheet plastic material.

4. To provide a package as aforesaidwhich can be readily opened for dispensing of material therefrom wherein the opening procedure will not contaminate the edges of such opening.

5. To provide a package as aforesaid having manually manipulable opening means for same wherein the users fingers will contact only portions of the opening means which are outside of said package and will not contact or even approach undesirably close to the edges of the opening formed therein by which to dispense material therefrom.

Other objects and purposes of the invention will become apparent by reading the following specification and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a planview of a sheet of envelope material prior to folding of same but withthe intended contents of the envelope applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of one embodiment of the completed envelope, the same being partially broken to show the opening means.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2 and employing an enlarged scale.

FIG. 4 is a section taken onthe line IV-IV 2 and utilizing same scale as FIG. 3.

FIG..5 is an elevational view generally similar to FIG. 2 showing a modification of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a view substantially similar to FIG. 2 and showing a further modification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention contemplates enveloping the desired quantity of material by a sheet of suitable plastic and sealing the edges thereof around said material. Prior, however, to the complete sealing thereof there is placed between two of the portions which are to be sealed together an elongated member carrying an abutment thereon, said abutment being placed with respect to the sheet material at a point which will be inside of the envelope upon the completion of the sealing opera tion. Further, the sealing operation is carried out so that it shapes and adheres the sheet material closely around said elongated member so as to prevent the access of air or other external contamination into the package along said elongated member and also to prevent the escape therealong of material from within the package.

of FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION While the invention is fully capable of being manifested in many different ways, the illustrated embodiments are believed sufficient to convey to those skilled in the art a full understanding thereof and variations tion and should be taken in this manner and not as limiting.

Turning now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown at 1 in FIG. 1 a sheet of material from which an envelope is to be formed. The dashdot line 2 indicates the line on which this sheet is to be folded and broken lines 3 indicate the approximate boundary of the portions thereof to be heat sealed as hereinafter described when the envelope is completed. A quantity of material 4 is placed on the upper surface of the sheet 1 and an elongated member 6 provided with an abutment 7 is laid across a portion 13 which is to be heat sealed in the position shown in FIG. 2. In this case the elongated member 6 is a piece of thread or string and the abutment 7 is a knot near the end thereof.

With the parts in the position shown in FIG. 1 the sheet is then folded to envelop the material 4 and the edge strips suitably sealed, such as by heat sealing. This forms the completed article as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 wherein the heat sealed strips are those indicated within the panels 11, 12 and 13.

It will be recognized that the sealing of the panels ll, 12 and 13 should be complete and capable of preventing escape of material 4 from within the container. Parti'cularly, it should be emphasized that the sealing of the panel 13 is effective to engage the sheet material 1 snugly around the elongated member 6 to insure that no air or other contamination from outside the package will enter along said elongated member into the package and to insure equally that no material from within the package can escape out therefrom along said elongated member.

In this latter connection it will be recognized that the size and material from which the elongated member 6 is made, and its relationship to the moldability and thickness of the material comprising sheet 1 will be of critical importance. Particularly, it is necessary either that the material from which the elongated member 6 is made be sufficiently soft and yieldable that it can assume a virtually flat condition between the two sides of the sheet 1 comprising the sealed panel 13 or that the material of said sheet 1 be sufficiently thick and flowable that, if elongated member 6 should be relatively stiff, it will flow snugly therearound and reliably seal itself closely thereto.

It is equally necessary to note that the material from which the elongated member 6 is made should be impervious both to moisture and to whatever liquid or near-liquid may be involved within the package, in order to prevent the wicking of any of such materials from within the package outwardly and to prevent the wicking of moisture from outside the package inwardly thereof.

It has been found in working with this packaging device that a wide variety of materials are available and effective and may be chosen both for their practical effectiveness for the purposes described and for their esthetic appearance.

For example, in connection with the package, a wide variety of heat sealable sheet materials are available and known to the trade, may be obtained in any of transparent, opaque or translucent condition and will desirably be printed with whatever names, legends and instructions are desirable thereon. Examples of such sheet materials are: polycarbonates, polyethylene, polyphenylene oxide, polysulfone, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, tetrafluoroethylene, acrylics, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, cellulosics, fluorinated ethylene propylene, ionomers, phenoxies and polyamides could be employed dependent upon the characteristics desired. Laminates of these with paper and aluminum and various combinations can be used.

Turning now to the materials in which the elongated member 6 is made, any of several relatively soft yet strong threads are useful inasmuch as they can be pressed virtually flat during the sealing operation of the panel 13. It is in many instances, however, desirable that these threads be treated in a manner to improve their strength and/or to minimize the tendency of liquid, such as water, to pass therethrough. Thus, available thread materials of this nature include the following: mercerized cotton with and without silicone coating, polyspun cotton wrappedwith a polyester, pure silk, nylon, Dacron, cotton wrapped polyester, cotton wrapped nylon or cotton wrapped Dacron.

In other examples, a more deformation resistant material was used for the elongated member 6 and same was also successful by taking sufficient care in the sealing of the panel l3 to ensure that the portions thereof on either side of the elongated member were sealed snugly therearound. Examples of such materials were: monofilament nylon and a relatively heavy cotton carpet sewing thread. It should be noted, however, that where an aqueous material is contained within the envelope and a heavy cotton thread is used, there may be some tendency for the material to wick through the cotton thread. Thus, where aqueous materials are to be contained within the envelope, the elongated member 6 should be made in a manner to inhibit such wicking, such as by using a monofilament material such as nylon or by using a type of thread such as silk or mercerized cotton which will have no wicking tendency.

To use the packaging device the user merely grasps the envelope with one hand and the elongated member with the other hand and pulls the abutment 7 outwardly through the sealed portion. The material may then be squeezed from within the envelope out to the opening made by said abutment to the point of use.

It will be recognized that, unlike whenthe envelope is torn by hand or cut by shears or knife, the movement of the abutment through the seal creates no open edges for contamination and if complete freedom therefrom is desired, the outer edge of the envelope may be dipped in a disinfectant prior to the opening thereof. Hence, the application of the salve or ointment contained within the envelope to its point of use is completely antiseptic.

FIG. 5 shows a modification wherein the elongated member 6 is replaced by a corresponding elongated member defining a loop 16 having a bight 17. The loop is placed through, and sealed into, a sealing panel such as the sealing panel 13 in the same manner as above described for elongated member 6 with the bight 17 occupying the position above described for the abutment 7. In this case the user grasps both portions 18 and 19 of elongated member 16 and pulls same through the sealing panel 13. This opens the sealing panel in the same manner as abovedescribed for the abutment 7. With the sealing panel 13 thus opened, the material within the envelope of FIG. 5 may be dispensed through the opening made thereby in the same manner and with the same advantages as already above descrived.

FlG. 6 discloses a modification wherein the envelope comprises two sheets of heat scalable plastic material wherein the entire perimeter thereof is heat sealed together.

While certain particular embodiments of the invention have been set forth above for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that the principles set forth herein are applicable to a variety of other circumstances and the invention is accordingly applicable thereto.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A single use pharmaceutical package for antiseptic application of a pharmaceutical material, such package comprising;

a pair of superposed, heat scalable and relatively moldable sheetlike layers connected around theirperimeters to define a closed envelope for containing therein and in direct contact therewith a liquidlike pharmaceuticalmaterial, said layers having respectively superposed and heat seal joined edge strip portions defining at least one envelope edge; moisture impervious, nonwicking and elongated strand extending substantially perpendicularly of said one edge substantially linearly between said heat sealed edge strip portions and having a manually engageable end outside and remote from said envelope and an interior portion within said envelope contactable by said pharmaceutical material, said strand being knotted in the interior portion thereof spaced inboard from said edge strip portions, said knotted portion being wider than the portion of the strand between said edge strip portions;

said edge strip portions being snugly molded around and in sealing'relation with said strand to prevent leakage therepast along said strand into or out of said envelope, said knotted portion being small compared to the length of the edges of said layers, said knotted portion directly forming a narrow material egress channel between said edge strip por tions and substantially perpendicular thereto upon being pulled outwardly away from said envelope to allow said pharmaceutical material to be squeezed out of said envelope through the channel made by said knotted portion to a point of use, said channel being of size corresponding to the width of said knotted portion and substantially less than the width of said one edge.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said elongated strand is a relatively soft textile cord, adapted to flatten in response to heat sealing of the adjacent edge strip portions.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said elongated strand is a textile cord and said knotted portion is a knot in said cord said knot being located in said envelope and spaced inboard of said heat sealed edge strip portions, the diameter of said knot defining the size of said channel.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said elongated strand is a monofilament.

5. A single use pharmaceutical package for antiseptic application of a pharmaceutical material, such package comprising:

a pair of superposed, heat scalable and relatively moldable sheetlike layers connected around their perimeters to define an envelope and having respectively superposed edge strip portions defining one envelope edge, said one envelope edge includ ing a narrow dispensing zone extending transversely through said superposed portions;

a quantity of substantially liquid pharmaceutical material within and in contact with said envelope; moisture impervious, nonwicking and elongated threadlike member extending transversely of said one edge substantially linearly through said dispensing zone to a point within said envelope and being knotted in an interior portion thereof within said envelope and spaced inboard from said dispensing zone, said knotted portion extending transversely somewhat beyond the portion of the elongate member in saiddispensing zone;

the edge strip portions of said envelope defining said dispensing zone being heat sealed tightly to each other and being snugly molded around and in sealing relation with said elongated member to prevent leakage therepast along said? elongated member into or out of said envelope, said knotted portion being small compared to the length of the edges of said layers, said knotted portion creating a correspondingly sized, channel-like, material egress opening between said edge strip portions upon being pulled outwardly through said dispensing zone to allow said pharmaceutical material to be squeezed out of said envelope through the channellike opening made by said knotted portion to a point of use.

6. The package defined in claim 5, wherein said envelope comprises a single sheet of heat scalable plastic material folded to define said two superposed sheetlike layers, the opposed free edges of said layers being heat sealed together, the dispensing zone being located intermediate one opposed pair of heat sealed free edges.

7. The device defined in claim 5, wherein said envelope comprises two sheets of heat scalable plastic material and wherein the entire perimeter thereof including the portion comprising the dispensing zone is heat sealed together.

8. The package defined in claim 5 in which said envelope is substantially rectangular, said dispensing zone being located intermediate and spaced from the ends of said one envelope edge, said elongated member extending substantially perpendicular to said one envelope edge.

,9. The package defined in claini 5 in which said elongated member is alength of monofilament nylon.

10. The package defined in claim 5 in which said elongated member is a length of heavy cotton carpet sewing thread.

11. The package defined in claim 5 in which said elongated threadlike member is a thread including cotton as at least one component thereof.

12. The package defined in claim 5 in which said elongated threadlike member is of silk.

13. The packagedefined in claim in which said elongated threadlike member is a thread containing at least in part a synthetic material.

14. The package defined in claim 5 in which the material of said sheetlike layers is a flowable resin material.

15. The package defined in claim 14 in which said sheet like layers include said material laminated to paper.

16. The package defined in claim 14 in which said sheetlike layers include said material laminated to aluminum.

17. The device of claim 5, wherein said knotted portion is a knot in said threadlike member, said knot member comprises a synthetic monofilament. 

1. A single use pharmaceutical package for antiseptic application of a pharmaceutical material, such package comprising: a pair of superposed, heat sealable and relatively moldable sheetlike layers connected around their perimeters to define a closed envelope for containing therein and in direct contact therewith a liquidlike pharmaceutical material, said layers having respectively superposed and heat seal joined edge strip portions defining at least one envelope edge; a moisture impervious, nonwicking and elongated strand extending substantially perpendicularly of said one edge substantially linearly between said heat sealed edge strip portions and having a manually engageable end outside and remote from said envelope and an interior portion within said envelope contactable by said pharmaceutical material, said strand being knotted in the interior portion thereof spaced inboard from said edge strip portionS, said knotted portion being wider than the portion of the strand between said edge strip portions; said edge strip portions being snugly molded around and in sealing relation with said strand to prevent leakage therepast along said strand into or out of said envelope, said knotted portion being small compared to the length of the edges of said layers, said knotted portion directly forming a narrow material egress channel between said edge strip portions and substantially perpendicular thereto upon being pulled outwardly away from said envelope to allow said pharmaceutical material to be squeezed out of said envelope through the channel made by said knotted portion to a point of use, said channel being of size corresponding to the width of said knotted portion and substantially less than the width of said one edge.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said elongated strand is a relatively soft textile cord, adapted to flatten in response to heat sealing of the adjacent edge strip portions.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein said elongated strand is a textile cord and said knotted portion is a knot in said cord said knot being located in said envelope and spaced inboard of said heat sealed edge strip portions, the diameter of said knot defining the size of said channel.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein said elongated strand is a monofilament.
 5. A single use pharmaceutical package for antiseptic application of a pharmaceutical material, such package comprising: a pair of superposed, heat sealable and relatively moldable sheetlike layers connected around their perimeters to define an envelope and having respectively superposed edge strip portions defining one envelope edge, said one envelope edge including a narrow dispensing zone extending transversely through said superposed portions; a quantity of substantially liquid pharmaceutical material within and in contact with said envelope; a moisture impervious, nonwicking and elongated threadlike member extending transversely of said one edge substantially linearly through said dispensing zone to a point within said envelope and being knotted in an interior portion thereof within said envelope and spaced inboard from said dispensing zone, said knotted portion extending transversely somewhat beyond the portion of the elongate member in said dispensing zone; the edge strip portions of said envelope defining said dispensing zone being heat sealed tightly to each other and being snugly molded around and in sealing relation with said elongated member to prevent leakage therepast along said elongated member into or out of said envelope, said knotted portion being small compared to the length of the edges of said layers, said knotted portion creating a correspondingly sized, channel-like, material egress opening between said edge strip portions upon being pulled outwardly through said dispensing zone to allow said pharmaceutical material to be squeezed out of said envelope through the channel-like opening made by said knotted portion to a point of use.
 6. The package defined in claim 5, wherein said envelope comprises a single sheet of heat sealable plastic material folded to define said two superposed sheetlike layers, the opposed free edges of said layers being heat sealed together, the dispensing zone being located intermediate one opposed pair of heat sealed free edges.
 7. The device defined in claim 5, wherein said envelope comprises two sheets of heat sealable plastic material and wherein the entire perimeter thereof including the portion comprising the dispensing zone is heat sealed together.
 8. The package defined in claim 5 in which said envelope is substantially rectangular, said dispensing zone being located intermediate and spaced from the ends of said one envelope edge, said elongated member extending substantially perpendicular to said one envelope edge.
 9. The package defined in claim 5 in which said elongated member is a length of monofilament nylon.
 10. The package defined in cLaim 5 in which said elongated member is a length of heavy cotton carpet sewing thread.
 11. The package defined in claim 5 in which said elongated threadlike member is a thread including cotton as at least one component thereof.
 12. The package defined in claim 5 in which said elongated threadlike member is of silk.
 13. The package defined in claim 5 in which said elongated threadlike member is a thread containing at least in part a synthetic material.
 14. The package defined in claim 5 in which the material of said sheetlike layers is a flowable resin material.
 15. The package defined in claim 14 in which said sheet like layers include said material laminated to paper.
 16. The package defined in claim 14 in which said sheetlike layers include said material laminated to aluminum.
 17. The device of claim 5, wherein said knotted portion is a knot in said threadlike member, said knot being spaced inboard from the heat sealed edge strip portions of said one envelope edge, said threadlike member defining and filling a passage extending transversely through and between the edge strip portions of said one edge, said knot enlarging such passage to define said channel-like material egress opening as said threadlike member is pulled outwardly of said envelope along said passage.
 18. The device of claim 17 in which said threadlike member is a relatively soft and flattenable textile cord.
 19. The deivce of claim 17 in which said threadlike member comprises a synthetic monofilament. 